It’s a bird! It’s a plane! it’s a…………. bat? Yes folks, the BAT IS BACK. BACARDI, with its iconic bat logo was a homage to the fruit bats that used to live in the distillery that that made BACARDI rum. So while Batman was busy hissing hoarsely at his enemies, BACARDI’s Bat had been shaking up the parties since 1862! Now who’s the real Dark Knight?

BACARDI, the world’s most awarded spirit, is now on the lookout for Singapore’s next signature drink. The BACARDI Singapore Cocktail Search aims to bring together different cultures and personalities within Singapore to create cocktails that truly represent the Singaporean spirit – drinks that are made by Singaporeans for Singaporeans.

“It’s a natural fit for BACARDI to lead this cocktail search. The unique taste of Bacardi Rum has inspired cocktail pioneers to invent some of the world’s most famous drinks including the BACARDI Mojito, the BACARDI Daiquiri, the BACARDI Cuba Libre, and the BACARDI Piña Colada. BACARDI was made to mix with all the fresh flavours and juices that are loved by Singaporeans,” said Henrik Resurreccion, Brand Manager, Bacardi-Martini Singapore Pte Ltd.

As such, BACARDI partnered with 3 local Singaporean personalities – Dee Kosh “The Entertainer”, Terence Leonardo Ong “The Football Freestyler” and Jon Yongfook Cockle “The Gentleman”. Each of these individuals were partnered and mentored by 3 of Singapore’s finest bartenders – Thanutphol Arj-Han (Nath) from Tippling Club, Anthony Zhong from Jigger & Pony, and Ethan Leslie Leong from Maison Ikkoku. Tasked with creating Singapore’s new signature drink by using BACARDI Superior Rum, they had to infuse their own styles within Singapore as inspiration.

The search kicked off on 3rd October 2012 at an invite-only launch party for media held at the Ying Yang Rooftop Bar. Each personality and their mentor will showcase their proposed cocktail for Singapore’s new signature drink. Popspoken was one of the lucky few to be first in the country to tase the cocktail trip and to cast their vote for their favourite drink. Subsequently the BACARDI Singapore Cocktail search will be opened up to the public where people will be able to sample the drinks and vote for their favourite. The search will end on 6th November 2012 where the cocktail that garners the highest number of votes will be crowned the new Singapore signature drink. We’re getting thirsty just digesting all that details so why not dive into those tasty cocktails?

“The Old Man & The Sea” (by Dee Kosh & Nath)

For such a loud (recall: AH AH SIOL) personality, Dee Kosh and Nath’s drink has a surprisingly subdued name! Rest assured there’s nothing musty nor fishy about this cocktail. It has a citrusy tang from lime and a hint of ginger, sweetened with sugar cane syrup. Dee Kosh explained, “We wanted to concoct something that was of Cuban and Asian origins. BACARDI Rum and sugar cane are obviously representative of the Cuban origin while ginger is distinctively Asian. The name pays homage to the novel of the same title written in Cuba by literary great Ernest Hemingway in 1951. Finishing off the cocktail is the foamy froth from a shaken egg white and that, of course, represents the sea.” You heard that right guys, THE WHITE OF AN EGG IS INSIDE THIS DRINK (urp!) Not one for the faint-hearted, what better alternative for protein in a drink instead of those nasty protein shakes? But be warned, aside from the egg white, the ginger does hit you like THIS.

“Kampong Sour” (by Jon Yongfook Cockle and Ethan Leong)

Founder of TinyTrunk.com, he is the most senior among the three and boasts an impressive globe-trotting resume. This cocktail’s deceptively simple 3-ingredient list belies its refreshing and delicious taste. As the name suggests, the cocktail is on the tart side and the tang comes from the aromatic juice of calamansi limes. “We wanted to capture something that is representative of Singapore and what can be more unique to Singapore than our “Kampong Spirit” of the olden times! The Kampong Sour is simple enough to make it at home with ingredients that are easily available. To complete that nostalgic feel of the drink, we serve it in an old-fashioned rock glass and a sipping straw to prevent the calamansi seeds from being drunk,” explained Jon. Well yes thank you Jon for stirring up those old memories of kampongs and true enough, most households would have the ingredients readily available, unlike some liquors that would require DFS liquor favours from friends returning back from overseas. But here’s our advice – ditch the straw. The uncle and aunties of yesteryear would not only be able to reminisce about their childhood but also indulge in having a spitting contest with those seeds hidden in the drink. Very kampong, we think.

“Tiki Taka” by Terence Leonardo Ong

Also known as the “Football Freestyler”. Terence is also the founder of Urban Street Team. The Tiki Taka has a hint of citrus from grapefruit juice, and the tartness is rounded by the silky smoothness of BACARDI Rum and a fragrant dash of almond syrup. Being a football freestyler, it’s no surprise that Terence’s cocktail has a football theme to it. He said. “Tiki Taka gets its name from the style of football played by his favourite team, FC Barcelona. Their style is simple, elegant and beautiful. The Tiki Taka is a simple drink that is refreshing and looks fantastic in the cocktail glass!” And boy, was he right about that. The mixologist that is Anthony Zhong should be given a salute for his drink that not only refreshes one’s senses immediately, but also shrewdly didn’t forget that half the battle could be won by showcasing a cocktail’s aesthetics. Defying the laws of gravity, Anthony plonked a mound of ice mush on the side of the cocktail glass and it stayed right there, not moving an inch. He then added blue colouring to contrast the coral tinge of the drink and finished it off with some tropical fruit at the top for garnish. For pleasing our tastebuds and our eyes, the Tiki Taka had completely won us over.

We say, may the best pair win! (Excuse us now while we indulge in more cocktails.)

From now till 5th November 2012, sampling and voting will be carried out in different bars across Singapore. The public can view videos of the 3 pairs narrating how they came up with their cocktails by logging on to www.facebook.com/BACARDI and to vote for Singapore’s new signature drink.